In 1978, disabled activists in Denver stood in front of city buses to challenge a government that had stalled for years on enforcing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Their protest was a call for inclusion, respect, and the chance to participate in society. This effort helped push the federal government to finally put the overdue Section 504 regulations into effect, paving the way for modern disability rights. It influenced everything from accessible transportation to inclusive schooling.
Almost fifty years later, the very law those activists fought for is again at the center of a national battle. The current legal fight began in 2024 with a lawsuit originally called Texas v. Becerra. It responded to updates by the Biden administration to Section 504 rules, which restated the requirement to integrate disabled people into the community and added gender dysphoria as a recognized disability. This sparked political backlash, leading 17 states to sue. They argued not only that adding gender dysphoria was illegal but also that the entire Section 504 law was unconstitutional.
In 2025, the Trump administration attempted to roll back the gender dysphoria provision, saying it should not count as a disability under Section 504. Because of this change—and pressure from disability advocates—eight states withdrew from the lawsuit. As Sabrina Gonzalez Saucedo from The Arc of Texas explained, removing the gender dysphoria issue lowered the urgency for some states to continue the broader challenge.
But the case didn’t disappear. In January, the remaining states, including Texas, filed a new complaint—now often known as Texas v. Kennedy—aiming to undo all the Biden-era changes to Section 504. At the center of this new challenge is the strengthened integration rule, which guarantees that disabled people can receive services in their communities rather than being placed in institutions. This rule is foundational to how home- and community‑based care works today, and weakening it could push things back toward isolated, segregated settings.
The connection between the Denver protest and today’s lawsuit is unmistakable. In 1978, activists blocked buses because they were denied access to community life. Today, the fight is about access to one’s home, one’s neighborhood, and the ability to live independently.
Both moments revolve around the same truth: disabled people belong everywhere. The activists in Denver were demanding more than ramps and lifts; they were demanding recognition as full human beings with the right to participate in the world. Now, that same right is threatened in a new form—by questioning whether the federal government can require states to support integrated, community‑based living.
The story of disability rights has always been one of progress met with resistance. But it is also the story of people who refuse to be pushed aside. The advocates in 1978 changed disability rights forever by insisting that Section 504 be enforced. Today, advocates continue to stand up to protect it. The struggle continues, and so does the legacy of those who refused to move until the country moved with them.
Sources:
Dilworth, Jackie. “Texas and Eight Other States Attack Section 504 and the Right of Disabled People to Live in Their Communities.” The Arc, The Arc, 28 Jan. 2026, https://thearc.org/blog/texas-and-eight-other-states-renew-attack-on-section-504-and-the-right-of-disabled-people-to-live-in-their-communities/.
McCarthy, Ciara, and Amanda McCoy. “The Fight to Stay Home: How a Texas Lawsuit Could Upend Disability Care.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, McClatchy Media Company, https://amp.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article314982885.html.
Shapiro, Joseph, and Stephanie Wolf. “In 1978, They Stopped Buses – and Helped Launch a Disability Rights Movement.” NPR, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026, http://www.npr.org/2026/03/19/nx-s1-5675264/how-an-act-of-civil-disobedience-in-1978-denver-helped-propel-disability-rights?.